I started my first short-story about a year ago after being inspired by an archeological find known as the Shigir Idol. Aptly, the name of my story is called: Where Idols Rest. You can read the story here.

I saw this mysterious wooden statue and my imagination went wild about what could have inspired ancient humans to create such an ominous design.

Everything about the Shigir Idol tows the line of uncanny valley: its head is uncomfortably oblong, its mouth is shaped in a perfect “o” that looks like it is emanating an eery howl, and its covered in strange markings. I saw in this statue the perfect recipe for a short horror story– so, I got to work.

One year later, I had twenty-pages of my first story. But, here are some reasons why I don’t plan to return to the horror genre anytime soon:

Spending time with the darker side of life.

While I’ve enjoyed reading horror in the past, writing it often led me to grapple and focus on the darker side of human emotions and experiences: depression, regret, anger, and hopelessness. And, while I believe that to love life is to embrace every emotion that life has to offer, staying in those modes and focusing on them for a long time can be draining. Especially since that’s just not where I am in my life right now. That being said, it was enjoyable to be able to pull from past experiences when life was harder and to be able to use those memories to bring my character’s struggles to life.

I like writing to be whimsical.

I love writing that makes you laugh or comes with a little bit of quirk. And, in horror, it doesn’t feel like there’s much space for laughter or quirkiness (horror afficianados out there- let me know what you think).

Those are really the two big reasons why I probably won’t revisit horror anytime soon.